Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin wrote an article about technological optimism about a year ago, articulating his enthusiasm and cautious attitude toward technological advancement. He proposed an idea called 'Differentiated Defense Acceleration of Decentralization and Democratization (d/acc)', aimed at promoting technological advancement while prioritizing the enhancement of defense capabilities instead of destructive capabilities. As a year has passed, Vitalik's concept has gradually matured and achieved initial results in multiple fields.
(What is the d/acc concept proposed by Vitalik? How does it differ from 'e/acc' (Effective Accelerationism)?)
Core Concept of d/acc
The core of Vitalik's proposed d/acc concept is: 'Accelerate technological advancement, but focus on defense technology and ensure the decentralization of power.' He believes that technology should serve the freedom of individuals and communities, rather than being concentrated in the hands of a few elites. This concept can be summarized in three core principles:
Decentralized Acceleration: Promoting technological advancement while ensuring the decentralization of power.
Defense First: Technology should be more favorable to defense rather than offense.
Democratizing Technology: Technology should be open and widely accessible.
Vitalik emphasizes that the combination of these principles can mitigate the risks associated with technology concentration and promote global freedom and security.
Achievements and Progress Over the Past Year
In the past year, Vitalik's d/acc concept has shown effectiveness in multiple areas, including:
Open-source Vaccines: Promoting verifiable open-source vaccine development reduces the risk of monopolization in medical technology.
Healthy Indoor Air: Public concern about indoor air quality is increasing, with air filtration and ventilation becoming common defensive measures.
Community Notes: As an information defense tool, it helps communities maintain high-quality discussions.
Applications of Prediction Markets: Prediction markets are gradually becoming a powerful information tool.
ZK-SNARKs Technology: Applications in government identity verification and social media are enhancing privacy protection.
In the fall of 2024, the 'd/acc Discovery Day' (d/aDDy) held at Ethereum Devcon became an important event, attracting experts from various fields including bio-defense, physical defense, cyber defense, information defense, and neurotechnology. This event not only facilitated interdisciplinary exchange but also enhanced the influence of the d/acc concept.
Real-world Applications of d/acc
The d/acc proposed by Vitalik is not just a theoretical concept; it has demonstrated potential in practical applications. For example, future pandemic responses may include the following technologies:
Open-source Air Quality Monitors that can quickly detect viruses and provide immediate protective recommendations.
AI Assistants that use encrypted data to recommend safe activity locations.
Open-source Vaccine Tools that enable any modern healthcare facility to quickly produce vaccines.
The goal of these technologies is to help society efficiently respond to new challenges while reducing reliance on centralized directives.
d/acc and the Challenges of AI Safety
The rapid development of artificial intelligence presents challenges for d/acc, particularly against the backdrop of increasingly evident potential risks of AI. Vitalik acknowledges that the possibility of achieving 'superintelligent AI' in the short term forces people to slow down the progress of high-risk technologies while accelerating technological development.
In this regard, he proposed two possible response strategies:
Legal Liability Mechanisms: Allocating responsibility to users, deployers, or developers, encouraging stakeholders to adopt higher safety standards in the use of technology.
Hardware 'Pause Button': Establishing a global regulatory mechanism for computing hardware to temporarily limit AI computing power in emergencies, buying time to address technological risks.
However, he also emphasized that these measures are only temporary responses, and more stable solutions require broader technical defenses.
The Role of Blockchain in d/acc
As a co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik emphasizes the important role of blockchain technology in d/acc. He believes that blockchain technology embodies the core values of decentralization and resistance to censorship, and can provide technical support across multiple areas of d/acc, including:
Privacy Protection: The application of technologies such as Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZK-SNARKs).
Information Defense Tools: Transparency and democratization of social media and prediction markets.
Public Funding Mechanisms: Promoting equitable funding for open-source technology.
The blockchain community itself, as early technology adopters, has become an important testing ground for d/acc technology.
Public Goods Funding and Future Outlook
Vitalik believes that funding support for public goods (such as open-source technology) is key to realizing the d/acc concept. He advocates for using decentralized and transparent funding mechanisms, such as Quadratic Funding and Deep Funding, to address inefficiencies and biases in traditional public funding.
He believes that a strong public goods funding mechanism can promote the proliferation of open-source technology, reduce monopolization risks, and provide stable funding support for d/acc.
Future Challenges and Hopes
Vitalik is optimistic about future technological advancements, but he also points out two major challenges:
The rapidly approaching wave of technology, such as AI and biotechnology, may bring unpredictable risks.
Weakening of Global Cooperation: An increasing number of countries and organizations are adopting tribal self-prioritization strategies instead of actions based on shared humanity.
However, he believes that the rise of decentralized technology provides solutions to these challenges. This includes AI-assisted governance, formal verification technologies, and the proliferation of open-source technologies, creating a freer and safer future for humanity.
(EP.207 Reflections on the Vitalik Documentary Featuring Degen Boss, 606, and Little Raccoon)
This article re-examines d/acc by Vitalik: Evolution and Future Outlook a Year Later, suggesting the development of 'AI Pause' capabilities, first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.
